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(No Model.) -2-Sheets$heet 1. O. PIERCE & L. SMITH.

LOCK MECHANISM FOR BR'EEGH LOADINGGUNS.

N0. 369,812. Patented Sept. 13, 1887.

INVENTDRE "21M PM W am \A/WNEEEEE @xw (No Model.) 2 Sheets- 8119 2'. G.PIERCE Sn L. H. SMITH. LOCK MECHANISM FOR BREEGH LOADING GUNS.

No. 369,312. Patented Sept. 13 1887.

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WITNESSES INVE TU E @Z@a-. 42pm PM M .LP. ML

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* UNITED STATES ATENT @FFIQE CHARLES PIERCE AND LEROY H. SMITH, OFITHAOA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE ITHAGA GUN COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 869,812, datedSeptember 13,, 1887.

Application filed May 11,1887. Serial No. 237,799. (No model.)

To all whom, it mag concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES PIERCE and LEROY H. SMITH, citizens of theUnited States, 't residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLock Mechanisms for Breech-Loading Guns, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, which will enable anyone skilled inthe [0 art to which it appertains to construct and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

Thisinvention relates to the lock mechanism of breech-loading guns ofthe class having concealed hammers, and known as hammerless,

and it consists, first, in im )lOVCd mechanism by whiclrthe hammers arecooked; second, in improved devices by which the hammers are held safelyin the cooked position and released at will, so that the gun maybefired; third, in an improved mode of constructing what are known as thetop-lever and lockingbolt, whereby said parts are simplified andrendered very compact; fourth, in an improved method of arranging themainspring and hammer, so that the latter is caused to rebound afterfiring.

Our invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure I is a plan view of our improved gun-lock, the barrelsbeing removed the better to show the working parts. Figs. II and III areside clevations, partly in section, the section being taken on thebroken line a, Fig. 1, showing the devices employed for cocking the gun,rendering the lock safe, and firing. Fig. II represents the gun brokenand at full-cock, and Fig. Ill shows the various partsof the lock inposition after firing. Fig. IV is a central sectional side elevationexhibiting our improved locking-bolt and its connections. Figs.

V and VI are enlarged detail views of our improved hammers in sideandrear elevation, respectively. Fig. VII is an enlarged plan, partly insection, of the locking-bolt and shank operating the same, the latterbeing inverted.

usual manner to form a ease for the various operative parts of the lock.The upper rear portion of said breech-block is formed into a tang, A,and to the lower side of said block is fitted a trigger-plate, A saidtang and trig ger-plate being adapted for the attachment of a woodenstock.

- The hammers B are inclosed within the breech-block A, and are pivotedupon pins G, 6c secured in said breech-block. Said hammers are arrangedto oscillate lengthwise of the breech-bloc k, with the striking partsuppermost and in line with the tiring-pins D. The hammers are actuatedby looped mainsprings E, arranged in suitable recesses in the front partof the breech-block. The particular arrangement ofiliese parts will be'1" urilier described.

\Ve will now explain the mechanism for cooking the gun. Each of thehammers is laterally recessed for a short distance from its lower edgeupon the side toward the middle of the lock. Said recess is so formedthat the lower edge of the thicker portion of the hammar above it is anobliquceurve, to be termed the hammer-cam. This construction is fullyshown in Figs. and Vi.

1-1 H are two similar parallel levers extending lengthwise of the lock,which we call the side levers. Said side lovers are inelosed within thebreech-block, and are pivoted at their rear ends upon a stationary pin,I, fixed transversely in the lower rear portion oi said block, andconnected together at thei r forward ends by a transverse pin, .T.

The gun-barrels K are pivoted in the usual manner to the front portionof the breechblock, and are provided with a cocking-hook,

L, rigidly fixed centrally upon the lower side of said barrels near thebreech. Said cocking hook engages with the side levers, H, through themedium of the pin J, so that the side l0VOlS lI0,Gle'\'1lt0ll by theupward tilting motion of the breech in breaking the gun. 5 The upperedg'es'ot' the side levers engage at a 'point near the pin 1 with theforward portion of the hammer-cams G, so that the hammers are oscillatedto the full-cock position by the upward movement of the side levers, H.

will readily be seen that the operation of tilting the barrels inbreaking'the gun results in pref I. wardly-projecting lugs near theirforward ends. 4

R is the safetyclutch, which consists-of a fiat bar of metal centrallyplaced below the tang A, to which it is secured by a screw passingthrough a slot in the bar R,-allo'wing said bar to be moved lengthwisefor a short 7 distance. This motion is-eiiected by means of verticallydownward, and

a thumb-plate, R upon theupper, side of the tang A, rigidly connected tothe bar R by a stud passing through a longitudinal slot in said tang.The bar R is prevented from moving accidentally by means of a spring, R,secured to the lower side of tang A. Said spring presses upwardly uponthe bar R, and is arranged to engage with any one of three transversenotches, R, upon the lower side of said bar, so that a considerableforce is required to move the bar. The forward portion of the bar Bisbent is provided at the lower ,end of said vertical portion with twoopposite transversely'projectin'g arms, R, to be termed the safe-bolts.Said safe-bolts extend across the tops of the scars M, and are'soarranged with reference to the triggers P that when the safety-clutchbar R is moved to the position where the spring R is engaged with themiddle notch, R, the 'saferbolts R are interposed between thedownwardly-projecting lugs of the triggers and the sears. It is plainthat in this position; the gun cannot be fired, as any pressure upon thetriggers results in downward pressure of the safe-bolts upon the rearparts of the sears, forcing them into closer 4 engagement with thenotches of the hammers.

The parts of the triggers engaging with the safety-bolts may be slightlyconcave to our brace the safety-bolts and prevent them from beingslipped out of place by pulling the'trigers. 1 g When the safety-clutchis moved forward or backward from the above-described position by meansofthe thumb-plate R, the safe-bolts R are disengaged from the triggers,and the gun may then be fired by upward pressure of the rear portions ofthe triggers upon the rear bent parts of the sears. When the gun isbroken, the

safety clutch bar R is pushed into its middle or position, abovedescribed, by means of the locking-bolt T, mounted longitudinally in thebreech-block. Said locking-bolt normally engages with a locking-hook, U,at

qu ircd for disengaging the sear 'isgett'ected by tached to theharrels'ln the usual manner, moved lengthwise baekwnrdto release thebarrels. The locking-bolt is by said movement forced against thesafety-clutch bar R, pressing said clutch into the safe position.

\Vhen it is not desired to use the safetyclutch, the bar R is retractedto its rear or in dependent position, where it is out of reach of thelocking-bolt, and the safe-bolts are at the rear side of thedownwardlyprojecting lugs on the triggers, the safety-clutch being thusrendered inoperative. Various devices have been employed to remderbreech-loading self-cocking guns safe, but

in many cases the gun is accidentally fired by the displacementv of thesafety devices upon the return "of the barrels to their normal position. This defect is entirely overcome by our improved constructionabove described, which consists in automatically interposing a safeboltbetween 'the sear-and a portion of the trigger, moving in a directionopposite to that refrom the hammer, so that any external pressure uponthe trigger results in a pressure upon the sear in' a dircction oppositeto that required to fire the gun. I p The locking-bolt Tis cylindrical,and is 0perated by the top'lever, V, in the following manner: A verticalcylindrical shank,V, rig idly attached to said top lever, passes'downwardly through a recess in the breech-block A. The lower end ofshank V terminatcsin' .a flattransverse blade,V, which engages with atransverse .slot, T, in the upper side of the locking-bolt T. The rearside ofiisaid slot is perpendicular to the axis of said bolt, and thefront side thereof is cut diagonally, so that the narrowest part ofsaidslot closely tits the blade Vi, By this construction the shank 'can berevolved in'but one direction by the top lever, V, said revolutioncausing the retreat of the locking-boltT. Thereturnof said locking bolta strong open spiral spring. W, inclosed in a central longitudinalrecess in the locking-bolt. Said spring encircles a cylindrical pin, X,of small diameter, and presses upon a head at the rear end of said pinof larger diameter, forcing said head against the blade V, and causingnormal position. The blade V, by its engagement with the slot T,prevents the locking-bolt T from revolving 01' advancing too far.

The hammers are caused to rebound after firing by their peculiararrangement with reference to themainsprings E. The upper arms of saidmainsprings press against the upper walls of the recesses in which theyarcincloscd, as before described, and their lower arms p rcss downwardlyupon the frontparts of the hammers. Said lower arms extend beyond thehammcr-pivots C. \Vhen the hammers are at rest after firing, theirstriking parts are not in contact with the iiringpins I); but saidhammers are made to strike said pins in firing by tlre momcntum impartedsaid blade to assume its by the m'ainsprings,

- ore and offers little resistance to the hammer blow, and the said endmay be shortened or lengthened to adjust it to the exact amount ofresistance required. Furthermore, by this arrangement the strong midwayportion of the spring is brought to act upon the extreme point of thehammer, insuring lively action of the hammer in service.

Having fully described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters E'atent- 1. In a breakdown breech'loading gun, the combinationof the hammer Q3, pivoted. at C, and recessed at one side, forming thecam G, slanting forward of the pivot, and the lever H, pivoted at itsrear end to the breech-block A and loosely connected at its forward endwith the barreh'the midway portion of the said lever bearing upwardagainst the said cam G, forward of the pivot G,'substantially as shownand described.

2. In a breech-ioading seltcoelaing gun, the combination, substantiallyas set forth, of the oscillating hammers l3, laterally recessed at theirlower parts to form oblique hammercams G, the side 1evers,H, pivoted attheir rear ends to the breech-block A and con nected together at theirforward ends, said side levers being arranged to oscillate said hammersto full-hoot: position when elevated by engaging'wii'h said hammer-cams,and means actuated by the gun-barrels K for elevating said side leversby tilting said barrels in the gen.

3. In coin nation a eentrally-pivoted sear a e ally pivoted triggerarranged he part of said sear by upto elevate t ,to engage between themthe safety-b0 ward movement of the rear part of said trig.

ger, a safety-bolt arranged to be interposed between the forward part ofthe trigger and the rear part of the sear to prevent said trigge'r fromoperating said sear, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the loeking'bolt T, fitted in the block A to slidelongitudinally rearward to unlock the barrel, the safety clutch bar R,fitted to slide longitudinally nil), the said block and provided withthe T-shapel} head or safety-bolts R and with an intermediate portioncrossing the path of the bolt T, in the rear of the bolt, the sear M,pivoted at a point, I, forward of the bolts R and provided at the rearof the said bolts with a lateral extension, and' a trigger, P, pivotedto the bl ck A, at a point to the rear of the said boltJR and adapted toengage the lateral exten ion of the sear on its under side, the saidtrigger having an extension upward and forward of its pivot providedwith'a downwardly-pro. eotted 5R substantially as shown anddescribed,whereby the action of the trigger is interrupted when the barIt is pressed back by the retracted bolt T.

5. In a breech-loading gun, in combi' iat on ing log, the said lug andthe sear being ads,J

with the top lever, V, shank V, operatedfby said top lever, flat bladeV", rigidly connected to said shank,and transversely-slottedlocking boltT, said blade V engaging with said transverse slot, the pin X, ahdspring W,," inclosed within said locking-bolt and arranged to returnsaid locking-bolt to its normal position by pressing against the flatblade V, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES PIERCE. LERUY H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

P. G. ELLSWORTH, F. M. Lann

